1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to photographic film conveying device which, while conveying a strip-shaped photographic film on which images are recorded, reads the images of the photographic film by an image reading means such as a scanner or the like.
2. Description of the Related Art
There are digital image processing devices for photographic films which, while conveying a photosensitive material, on which images are recorded, at a predetermined reading speed, read the images of the photographic film by a line scanner which is a CCD line sensor or the like, and use the image data obtained by this reading to record the images onto a recording material or display the images on a display or the like. In such a digital image processing device, for example, prescanning, in which the images of the photographic film are read at a relatively rough resolution by the line scanner, is carried out while the photographic film is conveyed in one direction along a conveying path by conveying roller pairs. After the image sizes and the dynamic ranges and the like of the images recorded on the photographic film have been confirmed, the conveying direction of the photographic film by the conveying roller pairs is reversed. While the photographic film is being conveyed in this opposite direction, fine scanning is carried out in which, on the basis of the data obtained by prescanning, the images of the photographic film are read at a high resolution.
There are digital image processing devices in which a film receiving section, which receives the photographic film after reading (fine scanning) has been completed, is connected to the final end portion of the conveying path of the photographic film. In such a film receiving portion are disposed, for example, a discharge roller pair which is formed of a driving roller and a driven roller, and a roller driving section which transmits torque to the driving roller of the discharge roller pair so as to rotate the driving roller in a predetermined direction. Here, when one end portion of the photographic film is discharged from the final end portion of the conveying path, the driving roller of the discharge roller pair is rotated by the torque from the roller driving section while the photographic film is nipped by a nip portion of the discharge roller pair. In this way, the photographic film is pulled into the film receiving section from the film feed-out path due to the conveying force from the discharge roller pair. When the other end portion of the photographic film separates from the nip portion of the discharge roller pair toward the downstream side thereof, the discharging of the photographic film into the film receiving section is completed.
However, in the above-described digital image processing device, while the photographic film is conveyed at a constant reading speed along the conveying path, fine scanning is carried out in which the images of the photographic film are read by a line scanner at a high resolution. At this time of fine scanning, when the end portion of the photographic film reaches the discharge roller pair of the film receiving section, the conveying speed of the photographic film at the image reading position by the line scanner fluctuates.
Namely, even if the driving roller of the discharge roller pair rotates at a rotating speed which corresponds to the reading speed, a resistance to conveying is applied, even if for an extremely short time, to the photographic film when the photographic film abuts the nip portion of the discharge roller pair. This resistance to conveying is transferred to the conveying roller pair through the photographic film, and causes a change in the rotating speed of the conveying roller pair. Further, after the photographic film is nipped by the nip portion of the discharge roller pair and conveying is started, it is difficult to make the conveying speed of the photographic film by the discharge roller pair exactly match the reading speed. Thus, an increase in tension or slack is generated at the portion of the photographic film between the discharge roller pair and the conveying roller pair. This increase in tension or slack of the photographic film causes a change in load of the conveying roller pair, and a change in the rotational speed is caused.
Such a change in the conveying speed of the photographic film at the reading position is a cause of deterioration in the accuracy of reading the image by the line scanner, and for example, is a cause of defects in image quality such as jitters in the image which is reproduced by the image information obtained by fine scanning.
Moreover, in a case in which the conveying speed of the photographic film by the discharge roller pair is faster than the reading speed which is the speed of conveying the photographic film by the conveying roller pair, when the photographic film is in a state of being conveyed by both the conveying roller pair and the discharge roller pair, the tension at the photographic film increases as time passes, and there is the concern that the photographic film may be damaged by this tension.
Further, there are digital image processing devices in which a film supplying section is connected to one end portion of the reading conveying path. Such a film supplying section is provided with, for example, a film holder in which is set a film bundle in which a plurality of photographic films are stacked together; a feed roller which separates one photographic film from the film bundle set in the film holder, and feeds this photographic film to a film supply path connected to the reading conveying path; and a conveying roller pair which conveys the photographic film along the film supply path to the reading conveying path. In such a digital image processing device, one photographic film is separated, by the feed roller, from the topmost portion or the bottommost portion of the film bundle set in the film holder, and is conveyed to the reading conveying path along the film supply path.
In a conventional digital image processing device such as that described above, after fine scanning of one photographic film is completed and that photographic film is discharged from the reading conveying path, the next photographic film is fed into the film supply path by the feed roller by the film supplying section, and the photographic film is conveyed to the reading conveying path along the film supply path. As a result, a period of time, which corresponds to the path length of the film supply path in the film supplying section and to the film conveying speed, is required from the time after the preceding photographic film has been discharged from the reading conveying path until the time the next photographic film is supplied to the reading conveying path. Accordingly, in a case in which the film supply path is long, the period of time from the time the preceding photographic film is discharged from the reading conveying path to the time when the next photographic film is conveyed to the reading conveying path (i.e., the replacement time) is long. In particular, when the film supplying section is mounted to the main body of the image processing device as an optional unit, in most cases, the length of the film supply path is long due to the requirements imposed by the layout.
Moreover, there are digital image processing devices in which the film supplying section, at which can be set a film bundle in which a plurality of photographic films are stacked, is connected to one end portion of the reading conveying path, and the film receiving section, which receives the photographic film for which reading has been completed, is provided at the other end portion of the reading conveying path. In this digital image processing device, one photographic film is separated from the topmost portion or the bottommost portion of the film bundle by the film bundle by the film supplying section, and this photographic film is automatically supplied to the reading conveying path. In this digital image processing device, prescanning is carried out while the photographic film, which has been supplied from the film supplying section, is conveyed in one direction along the reading conveying path toward the film receiving section. Thereafter, fine scanning is carried out while the photographic film is conveyed in the other (return) direction along the reading conveying path toward the film supplying section.
Accordingly, in a digital image processing device such as that described above in which the film supplying section and the film receiving section are disposed with the reading conveying path therebetween, a subsequent photographic film cannot be supplied to the reading conveying path by an auto film loader unless the fine scanning for the preceding photographic film has been completed and the trailing end of this preceding photographic film whose conveying direction has been reversed reaches a predetermined position along the reading conveying path. As a result, a problem arises in that, the longer the photographic film loaded in the film supplying section, the lower the image reading work efficiency for a plurality of photographic films.
Further, in the above-described digital image processing device, the film supplying section and the film receiving section are disposed such that the reading conveying path is located therebetween. Thus, the dimension along the transverse direction of the device, which is substantially parallel to the conveying direction of the reading conveying path, is long. As a result, much floor space is required for placement of the digital image processing device.
In view of the aforementioned, an object of the present invention is to provide a photographic film conveying device in which, while a photographic film is being conveyed by a reading conveying means, no external force which causes the conveying speed to vary is applied to the photographic film from a discharging conveying means at the time of image reading in which an image of the photographic film is read by an image reading means.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a photographic film conveying device in which, even if the length of a film supply path is long, after a preceding Nth photographic film is discharged from a reading conveying path, the time until a subsequent (N+1)st photographic film is conveyed to the reading conveying path is not long.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a photographic film conveying device in which, even if a photographic film set in a film supplying section is elongate, image reading of a plurality of photographic films by an image reading means can be carried out efficiently, and the amount of floor space required for the device can be reduced.
A first aspect of the present invention is a photographic film conveying device which, while conveying along a film conveying path a strip-shaped photographic film on which images are recorded, reads the images of the photographic film by an image reading section, the photographic film conveying device comprising: a reading conveying section which conveys the photographic film along the film conveying path such that an image recorded region of the photographic film passes through an image reading position at which images are read by the image reading section; a film receiving section which receives the photographic film whose images have been read by the image reading section; a discharge conveying section which conveys the photographic film, whose images have been read by the image reading section, along the film conveying path such that the photographic film is discharged into the film receiving section; and an external disturbance preventing section which, at a time of image reading when the images of the photographic film are read by the image reading section, sets the discharge conveying section in a withdrawn state in which the discharge conveying section is withdrawn from the photographic film which is being conveyed by the reading conveying section, and which, after image reading of the photographic film is completed, sets the discharge conveying section in a conveying state in which conveying of the photographic film is possible.
A second aspect of the present invention is a photographic film conveying device according to the first aspect, wherein the discharge conveying section has a discharge roller pair which, while the photographic film is nipped by a nip portion formed between a pair of rollers, rotates the pair of rollers so as to feed-out the photographic film, and at the time of image reading of the photographic film, the external disturbance preventing section opens the nip portion such that the photographic film can pass between the pair of rollers at the discharge roller pair, and when image reading of the photographic film is completed, the external disturbance preventing section closes the nip portion such that the photographic film which is inserted between the pair of rollers at the discharge roller pair can be conveyed.
A third aspect of the present invention is a photographic film conveying device according to the second aspect, wherein, after image reading of the photographic film is completed, the external disturbance preventing section closes the nip portion at the discharge roller pair synchronously with the photographic film leaving from the reading conveying section.
A fourth aspect of the present invention is a photographic film conveying device according to the second or the third aspect, wherein the film receiving section has a film holder, which can hold a plurality of photographic films which are inserted from an exterior, and a presser mechanism, which presses a photographic film which has left from the nip portion of the discharge roller pair and inserts the photographic film into the film holder.
A fifth aspect of the present invention is a photographic film conveying device which, while conveying a strip-shaped photographic film on which images are recorded, reads the images of the photographic film by an image reading section, the photographic film conveying device comprising: a film supplying section provided with a loading portion into which is loaded a film bundle in which photographic films are stacked, the film supplying section conveying one photographic film from the film bundle loaded in the loading portion to an image input section at which the image reading section is provided; a film supply path for guiding to the image input section the photographic film which is conveyed by the film supplying section; a reading conveying path connected to the film supply path, and guiding the photographic film, which is conveyed to the image input section along the film supply path, to an image reading position at which images are read by the image reading section; a reading conveying section which conveys the photographic film along the reading conveying path such that an image recorded region of the photographic film passes through the image reading position; and
a conveying controlling section which, after starting of conveying by the reading conveying section of an Nth photographic film which is an Nth photographic film whose images are read, synchronously with a trailing end of the Nth photographic film passing through a connection section of the film supply path and the reading conveying path, starts conveying, from the loading portion and by the film supplying section, of an (N+1)st photographic film which is an (N+1)st photographic film whose images are read, and holds the (N+1)st photographic film in the film supply path until the Nth photographic film is discharged.
A sixth aspect of the present invention is a photographic film conveying device according to the fifth aspect, wherein a leading end detecting sensor is provided on the film supply path, and the leading end detecting sensor detects a leading end of the photographic film conveyed by the film supplying section, and outputs a detection signal, and, synchronously with outputting of the detection signal from the leading end detecting sensor, the conveying controlling section stops conveying of the (N+1)st photographic film by the film supplying section, and when the Nth photographic film is discharged from the reading conveying path, restarts conveying of the (N+1)st photographic film by the film supplying section.
A seventh aspect of the present invention is a photographic film conveying device according to the fifth or sixth aspect, further comprising: a film receiving section which receives the photographic film after image reading; a film feed-out path which merges with the film supply path and which guides to the film receiving section the photographic film which has been discharged from the image input section through the reading conveying path; and a conveying switching section which switches a conveying path of the photographic film such that, when the photographic film is conveyed by the film supplying section, the photographic film enters into the reading conveying path from the film supply path, and when a trailing end of the photographic film passes through a merging section with the film feed-out path in the film supply path, the photographic film enters into the film feed-out path from the reading conveying path.
A eighth aspect of the present invention is a photographic film conveying device which, while conveying a strip-shaped photographic film on which images are recorded, reads the images of the photographic film by an image reading section, the photographic film conveying device comprising: an auto film loader including a film supplying section in which is loaded a film bundle in which photographic films before image reading are stacked, and which conveys one photographic film from the film bundle into an image input section at which the image reading section is provided, and a film receiving section which receives photographic films after image reading; a film supply path for guiding to the image input section the photographic film conveyed by the film supplying section; a reading conveying path which is connected to the film supply path and which guides, to an image reading position at which images are read by the image reading section, the photographic film which is conveyed through the film supply path to the image input section; a reading conveying section which conveys the photographic film along the reading conveying path such that an image recorded region of the photographic film passes through the image reading position; a film feed-out path which merges with the film supply path and which guides to the film receiving section the photographic film which is discharged from the image input section through the reading conveying path; and a conveying switching section which switches a conveying path of the photographic film such that, when the photographic film is conveyed by the film supplying section, a leading end of the photographic film enters into the reading conveying path from the film supply path, and when a trailing end of the photographic film passes through a merging section with the film feed-out path in the film supply path, the photographic film enters into the film feed-out path from the reading conveying path.
A ninth aspect of the present invention is a photographic film conveying device according to the eighth aspect, wherein the conveying switching section has a gate member which can move between a first guide position, at which the gate member guides the photographic film from the reading conveying path to the film feed-out path, and a second guide position, at which the gate member guides the photographic film from the film supply path to the reading conveying path, and the gate member is urged to the first guide position, and the gate member moves from the first guide position to the second guide position due to pushing force from a photographic film which has reached the merging section at the time the photographic film is being conveyed by the film supplying section, and after a trailing end of the photographic film has passed through the merging section, the gate member returns to the first guide position.
A tenth aspect of the present invention is a photographic film conveying device according to the eighth or ninth aspect, further comprising a loop forming section which, at the time when the photographic film is being conveyed by both the film supplying section and the reading conveying section, forms a loop portion, which bends in a direction of thickness of the photographic film, in the photographic film at the film supply path, and the loop forming section can feed a portion of the loop portion out toward the reading conveying path.
A eleventh aspect of the present invention is a photographic film conveying device according to the eighth, ninth or tenth aspect, wherein a discharge conveying section, which conveys the photographic film, which has entered into the film feed-out path, such that the photographic film is discharged from the film feed-out path, and a film holding section, which can hold ones of end portions of a plurality of photographic films which have been successively discharged from the film feed-out path by a discharge mechanism, are provided in the film receiving section.
In accordance with a photographic film conveying device of a first aspect of the present invention, at a time of image reading when the images of the photographic film are read by the image reading section, the external disturbance preventing section sets the discharge conveying section in a withdrawn state where the discharge conveying section is withdrawn from the photographic film which is being conveyed by the reading conveying section. After image reading of the photographic film is completed, the external disturbance preventing section sets the discharge conveying section in a conveying state where conveying of the photographic film is possible. In this way, at the time of image reading of the photographic film, no external force, such as resistance to conveying, impact force, tensile force, or the like is applied to the photographic film from the discharge conveying section. Thus, the conveying speed of the photographic film by the reading conveying section can be prevented from varying due to an external force from the discharge conveying section. As a result, the accuracy of reading the film images by the image reading section can be prevented from be deteriorated due to variations in the conveying speed of the photographic film. Thus, a deterioration in image quality of the images reproduced by the image information from the image reading section can be prevented.
After image reading of the photographic film by the reading section has been completed, the photographic film can be conveyed by the discharge conveying section. Thus, the photographic film after image reading can be discharged to the film receiving section from the film conveying path.
In accordance with the photographic film conveying device of a second aspect of the present invention, at the time of image reading of the photographic film, the external disturbance preventing section opens the nip portion such that the photographic film can pass between the pair of rollers at the discharge roller pair, and when image reading of the photographic film is completed, the external disturbance preventing section closes the nip portion such that the photographic film which is inserted between the pair of rollers at the discharge roller pair can be conveyed. In this way, at the time of image reading of the photographic film, even if an end portion of the photographic film reaches the discharge roller pair, the nip portion of the pair of rollers forming the discharge roller pair is open. Thus, the photographic film can pass smoothly between the pair of rollers, and external force which can vary the conveying speed is prevented from being applied to the photographic film from the discharge roller pair. At this time, one of the rollers of the roller pair may be a guide member which, while sliding toward one surface of the photographic film, guides the photographic film to a predetermined position of the film receiving section. Further, the pair of rollers may be withdrawn to positions at which the rollers do not contact the photographic film, such that no frictional resistance is applied to the photographic film from the discharge roller pair.
After image reading of the photographic film has been completed, the nip portion of the discharge roller pair is closed, and conveying of the photographic film inserted between the pair of rollers is possible. Thus, the photographic film can be discharged into the film receiving section by the discharge roller pair. At this time, if image reading of the photographic film has been completed, the closing of the nip portion may be carried out before the photographic film is inserted between the pair of rollers. However, in this case, the photographic film must be conveyed by the reading conveying section up to the point where the photographic film is inserted into the nip portion of the discharge roller pair.
In accordance with the photographic film conveying device of a fifth aspect of the present invention, after starting of conveying by the reading conveying section of an Nth photographic film which is the Nth photographic film whose images are read, synchronously with a trailing end of the Nth photographic film passing through a connection section of the film supply path and the reading conveying path, a conveying controlling section starts conveying, from the loading section and by the film supplying section, of an (N+1)st photographic film which is the (N+1)st photographic film whose images are read, and holds the (N+1)st photographic film in the film supply path until the Nth photographic film is discharged from the connection section to a film feed-out path. In this way, at the time of image reading in which the images of the Nth photographic film are read by the image reading section while the Nth photographic film is conveyed along the reading conveying path by the reading conveying section, conveying of the (N+1)st photographic film by the film supplying section from the loading section is already started. It is possible for the leading end of the (N+1)st photographic film to be conveyed along the film supply path to before the connection section with the reading conveying path. Thus, the time, from after the preceding Nth photographic film has been discharged from the reading conveying path, to the time when the subsequent (N+1)st photographic film is conveyed into the reading conveying path from the film supply path, can be shortened.
At this time, even in a case in which the length of the film supply path is long, the reading time needed to read one photographic film by the image reading section is usually longer than the conveying time for conveying the photographic film from the loading section to the reading conveying path along the film supply path. Thus, while the images of the Nth photographic film are being read, the (N+1)st photographic film can be conveyed along the film supply path until the leading end of the (N+1)st photographic film is just before the reading conveying path. Thus, without affecting the path length of the film supply path, the time, from the time the Nth photographic film is discharged from the reading conveying path to the time the (N+1)st photographic film is conveyed from the film supply path to the reading conveying path, can always be made constant and sufficiently short.
In the photographic film conveying device of the sixth aspect of the present invention, a leading end detecting sensor, which detects a leading end of the photographic film, is provided on the film supply path. Synchronously with the outputting of a detection signal from the leading end detecting sensor, the conveying controlling section stops conveying of the (N+1)st photographic film by the film supplying section. When the Nth photographic film is discharged from the reading conveying path, the conveying control section restarts conveying of the (N+1)st photographic film by the film supplying section. Thus, while the images of the Nth photographic film are being read, the (N+1)st photographic film can be accurately conveyed until the leading end thereof is at a predetermined standby position at the film supply path. Therefore, the width of variations (errors) in the period of time from the time after the Nth photographic film is discharged from the reading conveying path to the time the (N+1) st photographic film is conveyed from the film supply path to the reading conveying path, can be made sufficiently small.
A photographic film conveying device of the seventh aspect of the present invention further includes: a film receiving section which receives the photographic film after image reading; a film feed-out path which merges with the film supply path and which guides to the film receiving section the photographic film which has been discharged from the image input section through the reading conveying path; and a conveying switching section which switches a conveying path of the photographic film such that, when the photographic film is conveyed by the film supplying section, the photographic film enters into the reading conveying path from the film supply path, and when a trailing end of the photographic film passes through a merging section with the film feed-out path in the film supply path, the photographic film enters into the film feed-out path from the reading conveying path. In this case, the (N+1)st photographic film cannot be fed into the reading conveying path with a fixed interval between the (N+1)st photographic film and the trailing end of the Nth photographic film.
Thus, at the photographic film conveying device having the above-described structure, at the time of image reading when the images of the Nth photographic film are being read, conveying the (N+1)st photographic film by the film supplying section until before the connection section with the reading conveying path, is particularly effective in order to shorten the conveying time of the (N+1)st photographic film from the film supply path to the reading conveying path.
In accordance with the photographic film conveying device of the eighth aspect of the present invention, the conveying switching section switches a conveying path of the photographic film such that, when the photographic film is conveyed by the film supplying section, a leading end of the photographic film enters into the reading conveying path from the film supply path, and when a trailing end of the photographic film passes through a merging section with the film feed-out path in the film supply path, the photographic film enters into the film feed-out path from the reading conveying path. In this way, when the leading end of the photographic film, which is being conveyed along the film supply path by the film supplying section, reaches the reading conveying path, the photographic film enters into the reading conveying path from the film supply path, and is conveyed along the reading conveying path so as to pass through the reading position. Further, after the trailing end of this photographic film passes through the merging section, when the conveying direction of the photographic film is reversed and the trailing end reaches the merging section, the photographic film enters into the film feed-out path, and is fed-out along the film feed-out path to the film receiving section.
Accordingly, if prescanning of the photographic film is carried out by the image reading section while the photographic film is being conveyed in one direction from the merging section toward the reading position and fine scanning of the photographic film is carried out while the photographic film is being conveyed in the other (return) direction from the reading position toward the merging section, even if the photographic film is elongate, the trailing end side of the photographic film can be fed-out along the film feed-out path into the film receiving section while the photographic film is being fine scanned while being conveyed in the other (return) direction. Thus, after fine scanning is completed, simultaneously with the leading end of the photographic film passing through the merging section, supply of the next photographic film by the film supplying section into the reading conveying path is possible.
As a result, as compared with a conventional device in which, after fine scanning of the photographic film is completed, the conveying direction of the photographic film is reversed and the photographic film is fed-out into a film receiving section provided at the opposite side of the film supplying section, the period of time from the time fine scanning is completed to the time when supply of the next photographic film into the reading conveying path is possible (i.e., the feed-out wait time) can be shortened. Further, even if the photographic film is elongate, the feed-out wait time does not increase. Thus, the reading time when images of a plurality of photographic films are continuously read by the image reading section can be shortened.
Further, in the photographic film conveying device of the present invention, both the film supplying section, in which the photographic films before image reading are loaded, and the film receiving section, in which the photographic films after image reading are received, are disposed in the auto film loader. Thus, as compared with a device in which the film supplying section and the film receiving section are disposed on opposite sides of the reading conveying path, the dimension along the transverse direction of the device, which is substantially parallel to the conveying direction of the reading conveying path, can be shortened. Thus, the floor space which is necessary to place the device can be decreased.